The Montana Chapter of
The Public Relations Society of America, Inc.
Bylaws April, 1997
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this nonprofit professional organization shall be the Montana Chapter of the Public
Relations Society of America, Inc. (PRSA).
ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVES
In accordance with the objectives of the Public Relations Society of America, the objectives of
this Chapter shall be as follows:
To advance the art and science of public relations in the public interest;
To encourage research, discussion and study of the problems and techniques of the public
relations profession;
To strengthen and maintain the highest standards of service and ethical conduct by all members
of the profession;
To exchange ideas and experiences and collect and disseminate information that may enhance or
improve the professional knowledge, standards, ethics and standing of the membership, and to
promote fraternalism within the profession;
To promote formal education of public relations and public relations internships throughout
Montana's system of higher education;
To promote the profession and practice of public relations through education of the Montan a
business community.
To recruit new qualified members to the organization;
To promote and encourage accreditation of all our members.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Eligibility. To be eligible for membership in the Chapter, a person must be a Member
in good standing of PRSA. Any such Member of PRSA is eligible for membership in the
Chapter.
Section 2. Admission to Membership. Admission to membership in PRSA shall be governed
by the pertinent provisions of the PRSA Bylaws. Any person admitted to membership in PRSA
shall become a member of the chapter, if eligible, upon payment of Chapter dues.
Section 3. Retirement Status. Any member of the Chapter who has been a member of PRSA in
good standing for at least five years and is gainfully employed for less than 50 percent of the time
is eligible for retirement status. Members on retirement status shall enjoy all the rights and
privileges of membership.
Section 4. Termination of Chapter Membership. Any Member who for any reason ceases to
be a PRSA Member or is dropped from the Society's membership for non-payment of dues shall
cease to be a member of the Chapter and shall be dropped from Chapter membership.
Section 5. Rights and Privileges of Membership. Subject to the PRSA Bylaws, the right to
serve as an Assembly Delegate or Alternate Delegate or as professional advisor to a PRSSA
chapter shall be limited to Members who are Accredited.
Section 6. Non-discrimination. The Society shall in all deliberations and procedures subscribe
to a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of race, creed, religion, disability, sex, age, color,
national origin, or sexual or affectional preference.
ARTICLE IV - DUES
Section 1. Amount. The amount of Chapter dues shall be fixed annually by the Chapter's board
of directors and shall be payable in accordance with Chapter fiscal policies.
Section 2. Nonpayment of Dues. Any member whose chapter dues are unpaid for three months
shall be considered not in good standing and shall not be entitled to vote, hold office or enjoy
other privileges of Chapter membership, provided such member shall have been duly notified.
Section 3. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Chapter shall be the calendar year.
ARTICLE V - BOARD OF DIRECTORS (or Trustees)
Section 1. Composition. The governing body of the Chapter shall be a board of directors
consisting of the President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, the immediate past President,
the Assembly Delegate(s) and three Directors-at-large.
Section 2. Assembly Delegates. The Assembly Delegate(s) shall serve as the Chapter's
representative(s) at meetings of the PRSA Assembly and shall be elected by the Chapter
membership for a three-year term in accordance with provisions of the PRSA Bylaws.
Section 3. Directors (Trustees)-at-Large. On the first board of the Chapter one director shall
serve three years, one director shall serve two years and one director shall serve one year.
Thereafter, one director shall be elected each year by the Chapter membership at its Annual
Meeting to serve a term of three years beginning January 1st and until his/her successor is elected
and installed.
Section 4. Vacancies. In the event of death, resignation, removal or expulsion of any officer,
director, or Assembly Delegate, the board of directors shall elect a successor who shall take
office immediately and serve for the balance of the unexpired term or until the next annual
election.
Section 5. Removal. Any director who misses more than three consecutive board meetings
without an excuse acceptable to the board may be given written notice of dismissal by the
Chapter President and replaced in accordance with Section 4 above.
Section 6. Board Meetings. There shall be at least four meetings annually of the board of
directors at such times and places as it may determine. The Annual Board Meeting will be held
in September, in conjunction with the Annual Membership Meeting and a separate Professional
Development Program.
Because of the vast distances in Montana, the board is authorized to hold its quarterly meetings
by phone conference, on-line conference, or a two-day FAX and/or E-mail process, with full
notes taken, transcribed, and submitted to the board for its consideration. The board shall meet at
the call of the President or upon call of any three members of the board of directors. Notice of
each meeting of the board shall be sent to each director personally or by mail, FAX, or e-mail at
least seven days in advance. The major annual meeting of the board shall be held in conjunction
with the chapter's membership annual meeting in the fall of the year.
Section 7. Quorum. A majority of the board of directors shall constitute a quorum for all
meetings of the board.
ARTICLE VI - OFFICERS
Section 1. Chapter Officers. The officers of the Chapter shall be a President, President-Elect, a
Secretary and a Treasurer. The officers shall be elected by the Chapter membership at its Annual
Meeting for a term of one year and until their successors are elected and installed. No officer
having held an office for two successive terms shall be eligible to succeed himself/herself in the
same office.
Section 2. President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the chapter and of the board
of directors. He/she shall appoint all committees with the approval of the board of directors and
shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. He/she shall
perform all other duties incident to the office, including that of public relations and working on
public service issues for the group.
Section 3. President-Elect. The President-Elect shall, in the absence or disability of the
President, exercise the powers and perform the duties of the President. He/she also shall assist
the President and perform such other duties as shall be prescribed by the board of directors,
including public relations and working on public service issues for the group..
Section 4. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep records of all meetings of the Chapter and of the
board of directors, send copies of such minutes to Society Headquarters, issue notices of all
meetings, maintain or cause to be maintained the roll of membership, and perform all other
duties customarily pertaining to the office.
Section 5. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive and deposit all chapter funds in the name of
the Chapter, in a bank or trust company selected and approved by the board of directors. He/she
shall issue receipts and make authorized disbursements by check after proper approval by the
President or board of directors. He/she shall prepare the Chapter's budget, make regular financial
reports to the board of directors, render an annual financial statement to the Chapter membership,
and perform all other duties incident to the office.
Section 6. Compensation and Reimbursement. No elected officer of the Chapter shall be
entitled to any salary or other compensation. The board of directors may reimburse elected
officers or Assembly Delegates or their alternates for their expenses incurred in connection with
the performance of their duties.
ARTICLE VII - NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. Nominating Committee. There shall be a Nominating Committee of no fewer than
three Members, one of whom will be Accredited, appointed by the President with the approval of
the board of directors at least sixty days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Chapter.
Section 2. Nominations. The Nominating Committee shall name a qualified nominee for each
office and for each Assembly Delegate and director whose term is expiring. It shall ensure that
each nominee has been contacted and agrees to serve if elected. Additional nominations, if any,
shall be accepted from members at the Annual Meeting provided the nominees have been
contacted and agree to serve if elected.
Section 3. Notice to Membership. At least thirty days before the Annual Meeting of the
Chapter, the Secretary shall mail to all Chapter members the list of nominees prepared by the
Nominating Committee.
Section 4. Elections. Officers, directors and Assembly Delegates shall be elected at the Annual
Meeting of the Montana Chapter, with the exception of the 1997 organizational meeting. The
board of directors has determined that founding officers should hold their positions for the first
two years in order to ensure continuity in the organization. Election shall otherwise be by
majority vote of the Members in good standing, present and voting. Balloting in contested
elections shall be by secret ballot.
ARTICLE VIII - COMMITTEES
Section 1: Executive Committee. There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the
officers of the chapter to conduct the business of the chapter in lieu of the Board of Directors'
annual meeting or retreat as necessary. A quorum of three, including the President, is necessary
for the transaction of business.
Section 2. Standing Committees. In addition to the Nominating Committee, there shall be
standing committees on Program, Eligibility and Membership, Professional Development,
Accreditation, and Student Chapter Liaison.
Section 3. Special Committees. Special committees may be established and appointed by the
President with the approval of the board of directors.
Section 4. Committee Reports. The chairman of each committee shall report its activities at a
minimum of once a quarter to the Board of Directors. All committee activities shall be subject to
approval by the board of directors.
ARTICLE IX - CHAPTER MEETINGS
Section 1. Annual Meeting. There shall be an Annual meeting in September each year at a time
and place as designated by the board of directors; and there shall be a separate board of directors
retreat in May of each year.
Section 2. Regular Meetings. In addition to the Annual Meeting, there shall be regular
communications meetings at such times and places as may be designated by the board of
directors. Meetings are acceptable in the following formats: by phone-conference, online
conference, or a combination of two or more people meeting face-to-face in a given city and
conducting a simultaneous phone and/or online conference with the general membership.
The Chapter will try to have three face-to-face meetings a year. One of the meetings will be the
Annual Membership meeting in September, and will be held in conjunction with a separate
Professional Development Program.
Section 3. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Chapter may be called by the President,
the board of directors or on written request by 50 percent of the Chapter members.
Section 4. Notice of Meetings. Notice of the Annual Meeting shall be mailed, faxed or e-mailed
to each member at least thirty days in advance. Notice of a regular meeting or special meeting
shall be mailed, faxed or e-mailed at least ten days in advance.
Section 5. Quorum. A majority of the members of the Chapter shall constitute a quorum at any
meeting of the Chapter.
ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present, provided such proposed amendment(s) has been approved by the Chapter's board of directors and at least thirty days' notice has been given to all members of any proposed amendment(s). Amendments adopted in accordance with this provision become effective only after approval by the PRSA's Board of Directors.